The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1887-04-06
FOUNTAINS OF FIRE.
n-PictureS in Portrayal OF
the Great Oil Revival OF
Pennsylvania.

ana f.lF- I'D Il-F names above u~elIrE-
in the rock ON stormy nights these
flames have neen seen On hlaze up with
an avn. spirit sight which. iu the ewes of
the Ghebres. iE-estei the spot with spe-
eial -aBetitv-as sauctiry intensified by tire
fact that here. according To Arabian
car5nie'ers great volcanic mountain
was in full action tjlI 500 years ago. Sjrce
chem she aermal t5rces have expended
their energies ou spoutiu- oi. and there
with -a-ur8tu. rae dessert plain of The
AF-h-on Peninsula and truly more
reP1,siye Size 6r great ei,y cou.d not
wei le .alna
lt IS plain about Is miles in width
and projecting 30 miles int the Caspian
.r1u the point where the CtucasGs ter
INMATES uu It's shores. The whole -grflce
ortbe ground IS black with waste uetro-
.eum which IN cold weather har,ieus 20
the consistency Of J-pha't. whereas he-
Meath the b'az.u. midsummer sun th.
foot sinks into the depth of two or three
ilru-s- Every breath ~ wind raises
dluHng clouds Of black. bitumiuous
Just. formed by tine coarse. black Haptha.
W.-l uh.ca the streets are periodically
vl,ered true vater bein-ro precious
% be thus wl~ei This dust. combined
with -le dense smoke pogred from the
ehimu-v- 1i somewhere about $40 rrfu-
ing factories. d1e- nothinz go improve
th- atmosphere. And mere. lay and
night the 5i fountains pour forth their
hidenus black streams They Weld IN
average Of from - to - per cent Of pure
oil. and from - % go per ceur Of refuse
which mikes excellent fuel for the great
fleets of oil steamers and locomotives.
The supply may well be- deemed mex
nau-t.t.-. inl~murh as I100O square
miles in TINS region are found o. be oIeif-
ar1-. ANA aftbj- VAST surface only SIX
miles have a- yet been developed. The
1l.-uearuz stratum extends beneath the
Caspian Sea. Wher- it crops up in Tcbei.-
Kan. % true Isle OF OIL Here the oii liter
ally streams into the -sa from hills and
cliffs which may be- said % be formed Of
5z1Seritr-in other words of crude par
alhue. ON -h- eastern shore Of the Cas-
plan ltreappears at various points-as. for
instance, 40 the N-tt or N4phtha Hill
where the deposits are officially valued
ar e.5uo0ooC Then. again. as Bakul lies
1T ta- eastern extremity IF the Caucasus
rIu-e. SD lt IT'S western extremity lies an
oil field extending over about 80 miles
It t-mins,s- l1 the Peninsula Of Taman.
between the Black ~ea and the Sea Of
AzoL d region abounding tn active mud
volcanoes and occasionally shaken By
-IrtLgFuSe--
Vow the ire-ziaut who tends the great
laboratory beneath the Caspian seems
Disposed 90 emulate tire example Of his
brethren in New Zealand and Tonga.
Hitherto be has been satisfied with such
sport as turning on such an oil stream az
that which rlshed forth three wears ago
from one 1t the Baku springs. -poutiug
vi5n such tor-e ls t3 break 10 piecr~ q s.
inch c.s-t-ir1u plate which had been Eis-
tened over the Eeli ia order t1 divert the
aov rs "a different direction. A uefzhbor-
ing oil spring. oH being tapped. threw up
a column Of petroleum totaicr tle height
1sthr .-ra- ,rev-sr In Iceland. forming q
huge black fountain 200 feet IN height
fountain. however. attributed solely %
the removal Of the pressure on the con-
Gnra st-. as there is uo perceptible heat
iu THESE --v~ers- It was visible for many
miles uound- aad on the first day IL
poured forth about 10000 barrels. and.
with gradually diminishing volume. con-
.inlad To- play f1r 6ve months, Ehen 10
ll-..y -uh-id-,I. leaving it- unfsrtuna p
owner lu armenian company weii-uigH
ruined .y tl- r.am- brought against 10
ay '-loo-- Vla-e lands were destroy
ai ug rl- .d food One house which
-r.oj near the spring uew ie- buried be-
meath -and-uilI. which alone marks the
site OF tli~ too pr1ii--i iounL quite re-
Gently d -tj.i m iEh--r naph.h flow sud-
denly commenced pIaving with such rig-
1r fhat number Of buildings were
,aampej. For some days ir continued
altogether uncomfortable. and fears were
entertained for - safety of the town Of
B4kg
Vow however. "a more appalling terror
Aa- appeared iH this region. where there
i-i-o -uarmagsdn amount of iufammable
mat-s- r1a- one might wen dread the
siHria- 1f the most carefully guarded
flame. On the uizh. 1rtae 18th If Janua-
O. the inhabitants OF BdSI werp auak-
euei by violent shock which caused al
thr windows ta rattle. and suddenly the
dlrsue-- of the night was iI'umined bv
intense Light a. though the city ware
adamr It proved however. 90 be- the
reflection on the heavens 1f a great treat
distance bat M one ira1mt thas it,
locality .,y within the earth. Nor wa
thl- realized -il. thef1ll9w.uz night when
the -lme awful zar- derame visible
and shortly before midnight q terrific
ez1.1--oa aa- heard. Immediately fol-
-ow-l uv 81 vast column VI dsi1e. lupar-
emily 5U feet Ia heigIt. vhirh shot up
from tH- summit aftaa Ink Buau. close
60 -le P1Hta Railway station. lt vs. a.
calm night with scarcely "a breath %
wind s3 the flames continued 20 ascend
q1it- vertically. Carrying large misses Of
dark matter which seil back into the
crater. Considerable beat was felt az
-hr distance Of neuira mile. anJ the
whole country was lighted by d glare
brighter than that Of the sun at noon44v.
Thi, lasted tor bout thirty hours. but
uot continuously. the column occasional
ly -ub-iiiu-- The volume Of liqu-d mud
eiected la this period overspraad a tract
ofabout d square mile. 20 a depth vary
iHg from seven feet o. fourteen feet
One Of the singular projects 70 which
Che Forty-niuth Congress turned d deaf
ear vas Thar o. appropriate a sum Of
money f5r digging hol- 5000 fee5 deep.
or as much more or less a. the funds
hi ,ht warrant. in each state and Terri
tory. The memorial u the author Of
this happy thought promised a general
revival Of ministry A. one of it, results.
and only asked for 100000. being
$4,000 for each state and Territory 70